Multimedia servers (video and music) Articles, Stories & News

Beth Kotz for Hypebot: The steady march of progress through technology has radically altered the way many industries operate, and perhaps nowhere is that effect more evident than in the music industry. The movement toward digital media has changed everything from the way music is produced to the way it is discovered, purchased and consumed by listeners.
Now, the Internet of Things, and in particular the rise of interconnected “smart” home technology, promises to once again revolutionize the way the music industry operates and engages with consumers. Rather than being tethered to a PC or laptop, listeners equipped with smart tech can now discover and stream music seamlessly throughout their homes.
The Streaming Revolution
In the not-too-distant past, listeners needed to venture out to the store and purchase a CD in order to enjoy their favorite music. Word-of-mouth recommendations, television and radio were the most common ways to discover new music. With the explosion of streaming, however, a vast universe of music is now placed at users' fingertips for instant, affordable listening. Cont'd...

Control4 Corporation is now bringing 4K Ultra HD content distribution to smart homes across the world by providing fully HDCP 2.2 compliant 4K UHD audio and video matrix switches for home automation installations. 4K UHD is the new standard for high-definition video, and is redefining the home entertainment experience for consumers by providing four-times the resolution of standard 1080P HD video content. Available for order today, the new line of Control4® 4K UHD Matrix Switches provides the ability to distribute 4K content, including copy-protected content, to every room in the Control4 Smart Home without the need for additional hardware or software.
“We are committed to delivering on the promise of 4K by offering compelling video distribution solutions to homeowners who expect the very best in entertainment,” said Martin Plaehn, Control4 Chairman and CEO. “Our recent acquisition of Leaf, the Australia-based provider of audio/video distribution products, helped us get to market faster with a comprehensive media distribution solution that is truly 4K-ready today.”

Acer America today announced that the Acer Revo One RL85, a sleek and stylish Windows 8.1 PC with powerful entertainment functionality, is available in the United States. Offering big power in a tiny chassis, the new Revo One RL85 offers consumers a practical device for enjoying movies, TV programs, slide shows and music as well as syncing devices to share data with the entire family.

Mozaex offers a range of 3D-ready media servers and media players that can be used to distribute audio and video throughout the house. Priced at a fraction of the cost of Kaleidescape, the products do not breach any of the DVD Copy Control Association's (DVD CCA) contracts. We took a few of their products for a spin and were impressed.

It's almost a decade since the conception of DLNA. Over half a billion devices support it, but none of these are able to play DRM content. The DLNA Premium Video platform changes this, by allowing premium content to be streamed within the home without a set-top box in every room.

If you ask me, the HTPC is perfectly positioned for the wave of public awareness coming towards the Connected Home. Instead of removing an option for people, why not leave the HTPC in its current position as the high-end solution for integrating your Home Theater not only with the world's content, but also with the rest of the house as well! As much as I believe that these embedded devices of various operating systems will appeal to the majority of home users because of their simplicity, I also believe that the amount of people who want the extra power and functionality that an HTPC brings to the table will continue grow as well.

I believe that SageTV has created a very viable solution for the Home Technology enthusiasts' home by integrating their media streaming server (the SageTV HD Theater 300 ) with quality client software ( SageTV Client and Placeshifter ). With the addition of the Windows Home Server add-in ( SageTV Media Server ), they have empowered the Home Technology buffs out there with both power AND flexibility to design a whole-house (even whole-world!) streaming media system that takes their home system integration project to the next level!

For about 70 years, the television has established a firm role as the "entertainment hearth." Although the distribution and consumption of TV has changed - first with the addition of more broadcast and then cable and satellite channels, and then with the introduction of features such as video-on-demand - the TV was reserved for … well, TV! Television shows were television shows, and movies were movies, and that was about all the TV had to worry about.
However, TV will not be the only type of media for which the television will be expected to play a more direct role in accessing. The television's role as the centerpiece for entertainment is changing significantly, thanks to at least two major catalysts:
Growing collections of all types of digital media content - including linear and on-demand television programming, optical and digital movies, user-generated content, and music - that consumers will want to access from multiple sources; and the desire by both television service providers and consumer electronics manufacturers to create value out of their services and products by building in connectivity and the ability by devices to easily find and display content.

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